Fun Trivia » For Children » Kid Lit General » Nursery Rhymes

This is a popular counting out rhyme, which was first published in London in 1805. The full rhyme counts up to 20, but people mostly quote up to 10.

Agatha Christie used the title 'One, Two, Buckle my Shoe' for one of her Hercule Poirot stories which was published in 1940.

"One, two, buckle my shoe.
Three, four, open the door.
Five, six, pick up sticks.
Seven, eight, lay them straight.
Nine, ten, a big fat hen!
Eleven, twelve, dig and delve.
Thirteen, fourteen, maids a-courting.
Fifteen, sixteen, maids in the kitchen.
Seventeen, eighteen, maids a-waiting
Nineteen, twenty, my plate's empty." Difficulty: Easy.

 

Bill and Ben, Now and then, A lion's den

"Little Jack Horner sat in the corner, Eating his Christmas pie.
He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum, And said "What a good boy am I"
This allegedly tells the story of how the Bishop of Glastonbury hid the deeds of several manors in a pie and sent them to Henry VIII as a bribe to save Glastonbury Abbey. The courier, Jack (or Thomas) Horner, stole the deed to Mell, a manor that was still owned by the Horner family in the 20th century. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Cherry pie, Apple pie, Plum pudding

This was first published in 1798. The "Jack" in this rhyme is thought by many to be an English pirate, nicknamed Black Jack. As for the candlestick, this may refer to a version of a game called "fire jumping." Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

fly over the big salt lick, reach out and pick up that stick, run out to the muddy crick

In the original rhyme, he sat down beside her. I guess if he did stand across the room, she might be frightened anyway. By the way, in case you've wondered, curds and whey are a lot like the lumps and the liquid in cottage cheese. Difficulty: Hard.

 

He crawled on the ground, He brought her a different breakfast, He sang her a song

Did you know that 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' has six verses? It was written by two English sisters, Jane and Ann Taylor in 1806. The Mad Hatter from 'Alice in Wonderland' sings a version of it at the mad tea-party. A number of famous musicians including Mozart have written musical versions of 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'.
Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Little Lamb, Little Boy Blue, Little Jack Horner

"She cut off their tails with a carving knife.' This nursery rhyme, "The Three Blind Mice", is said to be based on Queen Mary, Roman Catholic daughter of King Henry VIII. The three blind mice are thought to be three of the Queen's Protestant noblemen.

Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

She drowned them in a moat, She whipped them with a rope, She poisoned their cheese

"Hickory Dickory Dock" was first published in 1744, and evidence suggests it began in America. It is also known by the name of "Hickory, dickory doc!" because the title is a nonsense rhyme.

Hickory and dock are also plants. The word hickory is thought to be originated from the Native American word "Pawcohiccora" and is a type of tree that produces nuts. Dock is considered a weed and has a long taproot. It does, however, have use as a medicinal plant, especially for stings by stinging nettles. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Three Blind Mice, The Grandfather Clock, Two Little Dickey Birds

There were exactly three blind mice! There are suggestions that this "farmer's wife" was actually Queen Mary I who was said to be displeased with three "ratty" noblemen. In actuality, they weren't blinded, but they were burned at the stake. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

six, two, four

"Old Mother Hubbard" is a famous English nursery rhyme first published in 1801. Published by J. Harris of London, it is believed to have been written by Sarah Catherine Martin. Many believe the character of Mother Hubbard is based upon St. Hubert the patron saint of dogs. Others believe it is actually a political commentary, and refers to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey refusing to grant Henry VIII a divorce from Catherine of Aragon in the 16th century.

Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To give the poor dog a bone:
When she came there,
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.

She went to the baker's
To buy him some bread;
When she came back
The dog was dead!

She went to the undertaker's
To buy him a coffin;
When she came back
The dog was laughing.

She took a clean dish
To get him some tripe;
When she came back
He was smoking his pipe.

She went to the alehouse
To get him some beer;
When she came back
The dog sat in a chair.

She went to the tavern
For white wine and red;
When she came back
The dog stood on his head.

She went to the fruiterer's
To buy him some fruit;
When she came back
He was playing the flute.

She went to the tailor's
To buy him a coat;
When she came back
He was riding a goat.

She went to the hatter's
To buy him a hat;
When she came back
He was feeding her cat.

She went to the barber's
To buy him a wig
When she came back
He was dancing a jig.

She went to the cobbler's
To buy him some shoes;
When she came back
He was reading the news.

She went to the sempstress
To buy him some linen;
When she came back
The dog was spinning.

She went to the hosier's
To buy him some hose;
When she came back
He was dressed in his clothes.

The Dame made a curtsy,
The dog made a bow;
The Dame said, your servant;
The dog said, Bow-wow.

This wonderful dog
Was Dame Hubbard's delight,
He could read, he could dance,
He could sing, he could write;
She gave him rich dainties
Whenever he fed,
And erected this monument
When he was dead. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Old Mother Goose, Old Mother Crumpet, Old Mother Brown

"Hickory Dickery Dock" can be traced back to 1744. It is believed to be a counting song to help young people learn numbers. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Cat, Dog, Cow

A pail can also be called a bucket, and is bigger than a cup or a glass. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

cup, bucket, glass

Both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were beheaded. These beheadings occurred in 1793. The first publication date for the Jack and Jill rhyme is 1795 - which ties in with the history and origins. The ending was made happy so that the rhyme was more child-friendly. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria, Isabella "She-wolf" of France and her lover Roger Mortimer, Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville

There were objectors, in the past, to this rhyme, who said that it could teach children to be cruel to cats. Some of them came up with the following alternative, in a book which was published in 1949:-

'Ding dong bell;
Pussy's at the well.
Who took her there?
Little Johnny Hare.
Who'll bring her in?
Little Tommy Thin.
What a jolly boy was that,
To get some milk for pussy cat,
Who ne'er did any harm,
But played with the mice in his father's barn.' Difficulty: Hard.

 

Billy Sprout, Timmy Trout, Mickey Grout

The title is "Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick". Good luck is to be had if you don't cause the candle to go out. In some rhymes, Jack is a dog. In others, Jack is a young boy. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Dog, Stream, Rock

Little Jack Horner tells the story of Thomas Horner, a steward to the Abbot of Glastonbury in the time of Henry VIII. As Henry undertook the policy of the dissolution of the monasteries, Horner was dispatched to court by his employer with deeds to several prestigious properties held by the church. The purpose was to offer the properties to the king in an attempt to dissuade him from destroying the abbey at Glastonbury.

The deeds were apparently concealed within a large pie crust to trick potential robbers from stealing the valuable contents. However, it didn't deter one thief: the carrier himself. Horner allegedly took one of the deeds for himself before arriving at court; that of Mells Manor in Somerset. Descendants of Horner, in whose possession the manor still remains, claim that the story is untrue. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Money from the treasury, A Catholic priest, A young maiden

There are several versions of this nursery rhyme. One of them goes:

As I was going to St. Ives I met a man with seven wives,
Each wife had seven sacks, each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits: kits, cats, sacks and wives,
How many were going to St. Ives?

The answer to this riddle is usually understood to be ONE.

There are several places in England (and other countries) named St Ives. Difficulty: Average.

 

I wandered lonely as a cloud, On the way home from St Ives, I think that I shall never see

Banbury is a real town in England. It is approximately an hour's drive from Birmingham and two hours' drive from London. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Australia, Canada, New Zealand

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row. Difficulty: Easy.

 

lamb, friend named Jack, white horse

Q1 is confusing. It says 'finish'. The last line of this rhyme is "like a diamond in the sky". You should say what is the next line. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

how I want to touch you, like a diamond in the sky, how I want to see you closely

 

Johnny Green, Jack Horner, Tommy Stout

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin {Eater;} had a wife and couldn't keep {her;} He put her in a pumpkin {shell;} And there he kept her very well. Difficulty: Easy.

 

In a pumpkin pie, In the cupboard, In the closet

The earliest surviving version of this rhyme dates back to 1744. While there is a bit of speculation as to the origins of the rhyme, the most common seems to be that it is a protest against the taxes on wool which were in place around this time.

The phrase 'Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full sir', is also in common usage in modern times, normally used sarcastically when someone feels he is being ordered around unfairly.

"Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir,
Three bags full;
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane." Difficulty: Very Easy.

"Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard, To get the poor doggie a bone.
When she got there, the cupboard was bare, So the poor little doggie had none."
The origin of this rhyme is disputed. The words we know today come from "The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog" by Sarah Catherine Martin, written in 1805. One theory is that it originated as an allegory of Cardinal Wolsey's attempt to obtain a divorce for Henry VIII, the cupboard being the Catholic Church. It is also said to refer to Saint Hubert, the patron saint of dogs. Difficulty: Easy.

 

To get some cookies, To get a glass of milk, To get some bread for tea

There are many theories about the origin of these lyrics. The first verse was published in 1744, although in that version there were naughty boys in the pie instead of the birds. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

they flew through the sky, they started to cry, they were placed in the pot, to fry

In the original rhyme, Jack fell down, and Jill "came tumbling after." At the end of this rhyme, the first aid for Jack's "broken crown" was listed as "vinegar and brown paper." This is an old remedy, and it used very rough paper, soaked in cider vinegar and then wrapped around the injured area. Difficulty: Easy.

 

She called "911" for an ambulance, She laughed and took the pail of water for herself , She didn't notice, because she got stung by a bee

In Grimm's fairy tale "The Wolf and the Seven Kids", the Wolf knocked on the door of the seven little kids' house, and convinced them to let him in by swallowing chalk to make his voice soft like their Mother's and by covering his black paws with the white dough that he forced the Baker to give to him. Difficulty: Hard.

 

With rose petals and snow, With honey and cream, With milk and powder

"Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row."

This poem is generally thought to be about Queen Mary I of England - a brutal leader. This rhyme is not as innocent as it seems. The flowers and maids mentioned are actually examples (in disguise) of Mary's cruelty, well known
to the people of her reign (1553-58). Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Little Miss Muffet, Monday's Child, The Queen Of Hearts

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye;
Four-and-twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie!

The king was in his counting-house,
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlor,
Eating bread and honey.

There were four-and-twenty or 24 blackbirds in that pie.

"Sing a Song of Six Pence" is a well-known English nursery rhyme, possibly coming from the 1700s. It has been a reference in other works. In 1929 Agatha Christie published a short story "Sing a Song of Six Pence". Her 1953 Miss Marple mystery "A Pocket Full of Rye" features this poem. Two songs from the Beatles' "White Album", "Cry, Baby, Cry" and "Blackbird" allude to this poem. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Seventeen, Four and forty, Six little

"Pussycat Pussycat" is a nursery rhyme that goes back to 16th Century England. At Windsor Castle one of the ladies in waiting to Queen Elizabeth I owned a cat that roamed freely through the halls. One day the cat ran under the throne brushing up against the queen's foot. The queen, although at first startled, decreed that the cat could roam freely providing it kept the hall free of mice.

"Pussycat pussycat, where have you been?"
"I've been up to London to visit the Queen."
"Pussycat pussycat, what did you there?"
"I chase a little mouse right under her chair."
Difficulty: Hard.

 

The Pope, The Grand Old Duke of York, Old King Cole

Must have been a warm night for him to be dressed for bed and running the streets. Wee Willie Winkle was quite likely a Town Crier whose job it was to make sure the children were off the streets at night. The Scottish version of this song has five verses. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

All in brown, In a bridal gown, For a night on the town

A horn is a 'wind' instrument made of coiled and shaped brass tubing. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

bubbles, balloon, nose

Richard, Duke of York, was the father of future kings Edward IV and Richard III. This rhyme refers to the Battle of Wakefield in 1460, one of the battles during the Wars of the Roses against the Lancastrians. Richard had 10,000 men in a strong position at the top of the hill, but madly led them down to meet the Lancastrians. He was killed and his army was overwhelmed! Difficulty: Hard.

 

Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VIII

This little rhyme, written in 1765, was meant to delight children with its silly impossibilities and to give them a glimpse into a fantasy world.

'Hey diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed to see such fun
And the dish ran away with the spoon.' Difficulty: Average.

 

cried, howled, barked

One version of the rhyme includes a child who refuses to go to sleep. Another is of a man who goes through the town to ensure all children are at home and sleeping. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Coveralls, Sailor Suit, Nothing At All

"I'm a Little Teapot" is a nursery rhyme describing the heating and pouring of a teapot. It was published in 1939.

Here's the rhyme:

"I'm a little tea pot,
Short and stout,
Here is my handle,
Here is my spout,
When I get all steamed up,
Then I shout,
Tip me over,
Pour me out". Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Bo-Peep, Humpty Dumpty, Itsy Bitsy Spider

"Lamb Boo-oo-oo"

Mary and her woolly lamb
Never went to school today.
Instead they crept inside a shoe
While the Old Woman was away!

On Drury Lane that shoe looked grand.
It was right next door to the Muffin Man.
Then Mary's lamb broke the rules there, too,
When it chased the children and shouted, "B-oo-oo-oo!"

Difficulty: Easy.

 

The Muffin Man, Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, Mary Had a Little Lamb

The origin of this nursery rhyme is believed to date back to the 16th century.

Goosey Goosey Gander whither shall I wander,
Upstairs, downstairs and in my lady's chamber
There I met an old man who would not say his prayers,
So I took him by the left leg and threw him down the stairs. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Threw him out the window, Took him by the right leg and threw him off the roof, PIcked him up and threw him down the stairs

Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater, had a wife and couldn't keep her. He put her in a pumpkin shell, and there he kept her very well. Difficulty: Easy.

 

in a shoe, under a haystack, in a cupboard